Hello, fellow newbies! I notice there are a bunch of us, so I thought it would be fun to get to know each other here and follow each other's progress.

As for me, I'm Annie. I'm Mom to four kids, including one with severe special needs. They keep me hopping!

Finishing up day 2 on IP and so far so good! Looking forward to raspberry gelatin for my snack tonight, and then I can call it a perfect IP day. I know, I know, it's just the second day. But I will celebrate every victory along the way!

Excited to take this journey with you. Here we go!!!

Hi IdealAnnie! I am returning after 3 years. I lost 120 pounds in 7 months the first go round. Felt and looked great. I didn't finish the phases and the food eventually was in controll of me. I gained 80 pounds and my health is affected. I am going to do this because I am worth it. Thank you for starting this thread, it helps to feel more connected and not alone.

I go to my first consultation meeting tomorrow with the plan to make this happen. I'm doing it because I'm way too big to be healthy, and I have PCOS and metabolic syndrome. I want to be here for my little buddy when he grows up and to be able to have a little sister for him in the next year or two (we've been trying for 2 years).

I think my biggest problem is going to be the lovely lunches they have at work and the fact that I have a little 2 1/2-year old that needs his snacks (animal crackers, bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, regular unsweetened cheerios, crackers), none of which are on the list, but I can't keep them out of the house either. Oh, and he really loves to share his snacks w/ mommy and daddy. Not excuses, just obstacles.

Now, how are the IP food packets? I usually make everything at home, like ranch dressing mixes and pancake mixes, etc. I'm not used to packaged stuff. Is it OK to improvise with the packets as long as you stay on plan?

Wow! 120 lbs in 7 months! That's amazing. Looks like we're starting at the same weight, by the way. It will be fun to do this together!

Hi there, friends!

You moms are awesome. Good luck to you- I don't know how you do what you do!

I was on IP two years ago and loved it- I had started working out 4 times a week, lost 30 lbs in just a few months, and was excited to reach my goal.
But then I fell waaaay off the wagon. I would eat out a lot- I didn't have a kitchen and it was the only time I would see my friends- and the day finally came that they picked a restaurant where I had zero IP options and couldn't reasonably ask the kitchen to make enough alterations. I figured one meal couldn't hurt... The next day I figured if already ruined the week, I may as well just restart the next week... Or the week after that...

Now I have a kitchen, I live with friends so I don't have to go out to eat to see them, and I'm ready to meet my goal this time!

Also... started yesterday and got IP's Week 1 headache... definitely a "welcome back" that could've held its tongue. :P

marshacup, I hear you on the kids' snacks! As for the packets, some are great, some not so much! Haha. But everyone seems to have a different opinion on them. I would suggest buying a variety. It would be awful to have a bunch of one flavor that you can't bring yourself to choke down. It's all DEFINITELY an adjustment at first!

ImASharkIPromise, your screen name is awesome. Haha. Ugh about the headache. I guess it means that you're doing something right though, right? At least we know it goes away soon!

Hello all,
I have restarted the IP protocol. I began my journey with IP around this time last year to lose weight for my wedding. Once I hit my weight, I stopped as the big day was quickly approaching.

I gained it all back. This time I starting over to lose weight to achieve a healthy BMI, as my husband and I plan to start a family soon. I'm about 15 pounds away from the top end of the healthy BMI range, but I want to push myself to below that.

I'm looking forward to having you all to help hold me accountable along the way!

Welcome, MrsG5! Yay for accountability! And I can't imagine a better motivator than starting a family!

Hi All! I started this month last year and have had a 5 month stall out. I am "re-starting" at my stall weight to try to mentally push on into the second round with a new outlook.

I wonder if there are still old March starters out there?

I am starting this month with a 30 day yoga plan (one week in). Fingers crossed.

any suggestions along the way are welcomed!

Oooh, tell me about the yoga plan! I know some people have mixed feelings about it, but I'm all about exercising while on IP and I love knowing what other people are up to!

Hello. Day three newbie here, and total newbie to the forums. I've been struggling with my weight for umpteen years and I've run the gauntlet of diets--calorie counting, Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, Weight Watchers, etc., etc. Never had any real success, even in conjunction with regular, strenuous exercise. Just kept gaining. Gradually at first, but then had my gallbladder removed and had to give up exercising so much thanks to health issues. My weight shot up almost overnight. Gained 40 of these extra pounds in about 6 weeks.

After years of going to doctor after doctor, finally found an endocrinologist who went beyond basic tests, found I have thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). Combined with other health issues, the result is my metabolism moving slower than a snail. Did lose 20+ pounds after starting thyroid medication, but stalled out to my current weight. The endocrinologist recommended IP, so here I am. Doing okay following the program so far (not like I don't have plenty of experience with diets), only having one real "side effect," nausea. I'm hoping that means I'm in ketosis?

Woke up this morning feeling rested and far better than usual, so that's a definite plus, but I'm determined to hang in there regardless. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Good luck to everyone in reaching their goal.

Hi everyone! I am back after about a 1 year hiatus from IP. I first started in May 2013 and quickly lost 70 lbs. I was about 20lbs from goal when I started to lose sight and slowly quit (without thinking I quit, just fooling myself into thinking I was still on plan). I gained about 40lbs back on and am ready to get going again! I restarted yesterday and so far so good! I am getting married in September, so my goal is to be back where I was by then (if not more!) I too have the Week 1 headache/lightheadedness, but I know that once it goes away, it's smooth sailing! Keep drinking water, spacing out your packets, and we CAN get through this!!! Good luck to us all!

Jonquil- Welcome! I too have Hasimoto's and have found that this was the only eating plan that moved my weight...keep me updated!

ImASharkIPromise- I didnt work out much at all for the first 8 months, which was a departure from working out 3 + a week before and not losing at all, so I kept not working out.

I decided with the plateau that maybe it is what my body needs at this point in the journey, so I am back at it. Going for 30 days straight, 1 hour a day, doing power yoga (so in a heated room incorporating cardio and ab sculpting in to the hour routine). Ill let you know what the WI brings.

I do so much better when I am being held accountable. When I lost all of that weight I never cheated, not once. Never made excuses why my situation was "unique", and held myself accountable to the friends on these pages. I only went to the weight loss center for a few months and then used an alternate product. I ran in my pool everyday during the summer, but other than that I did not exercise. I am going to do a little weight training for my arms this time. I am on this and I am so happy to see so many people posting to this thread. We are all special in our own right and we can do this if we stand together.